Saturday, March 28, 2015

It's happening. The car has left for
London. Rachel and Alexander seem fully on top of the problem.
Problems. My husband was actually cheerful. They have got him something which I
think might be called a zimmer frame. It'll be interesting to see how
he gets on with it, and with the wheelchair which I think has been
provided in London. These things may herald a whole new lease of life.

And my weight was down by two whole digits this morning. I had
been firmly stuck on a plateau for more than a week (as happens) and
had hoped for a bit of improvement on this, my last Lenten weigh-in,
but didn't expect anything as good as this. Of course it will bounce
back up tomorrow – but I'm not going to weigh myself tomorrow. I'm
off to Greece.

My
hair looks good. When I first started having it cut by Charles Kivlin
– ?five years ago – I asked him to aim for Hillary Clinton. She's
not ageing entirely well, in my opinion, or maybe it's just that
she's neglecting her hair a bit, so now the target is Theresa May.

Charles'
daughter is married to an Italian. They run a delicatessen somewhere
near Naples, and Charles told me yesterday, as he snipped away, about
gathering wild asparagus with his son-in-law. I emailed Greek Helen
as soon as I got home, to ask whether this year's wild asparagus season had
started yet, in Greece? And the answer is, yes! I think it will grow
in this country if you coax it. I think Jamie Oliver is keen. I am
greatly looking forward to tasting it.

Knitting

All
well there, too. I wound the second skein of Whiskey Barrel and
joined it in, somewhere very near the beginning of the fourth repeat.
I'm now nearly ready for the fourth cable crossings – they come at
the end of the 16-row repeat. I think once they're done, it will be
time to go back to the Tokyo shawl.

But I
don't expect to do much knitting today.

And
the word from London is to go! with the American yarn, for the pocket
squares. I should be able to knock off a couple in Athens. As I've
said, I'm not hugely enamoured of the shade (too light) but my
beloved Polish cleaning woman pointed out, when I discussed the
problem with her, that they will show up better against a black
jacket than a serious navy blue would.

So,
goodbye for now, and a happy spring holiday to all except those in
the antipodes for whom autumn is drawing in. See you in a week or so,
insh'Allah.

Have a wonderful time Jean! At the very least your adult children will have a deeper understanding of what you have been coping with alone all this time. But he may actually enjoy the whole experience. I'm sure that you deserve the break.

Asparagus is a favorite of mine. When on a trip to Switzerland-Austria and Bavaria We found White Asparagus in the open markets....I believe taking it out of the sun or covering it has something to do with it? Growing in the dark.

I will miss your daily writings very much, Jean. But I hope you have a very wonderful trip. Perhaps your husband will have a good time and enjoy his adventure, too. I look forward to hearing about it all. Best wishes for safe travels.

If I could remember how to say anything except "I'm sorry I don't understand Greek." I would say it! Have a wonderful trip! And wild asparagus grows here in the Upper Midwest, I can't see why it wouldn't for you. Looking forward to a full report.

If I remember correctly, wild asparagus grew in Bhutan. Your husband and mine should join forces and we ageing wives could just sit and knit - I detect many similar characteristics. I had a good laugh over your opening paragraph. Hope it all goes well. Happy Easter.

We got my father a Rollator - a Zimmerframe with wheels and a seat. It gave him a new lease on life. The Rollator helped steady him so he could move along without fear of falling. And the seat gave him place to rest when tired. The basket underneath was handy for carrying his things from room to room.

Have a wonderful and relaxing time! I will miss your blog, it is the first thing I read in the morning. But I am looking forward to reading about your greek adventures. Your husband will be fine, I think. And as Lou wrote, a Rollator is a great idea, much better than a Zimmer frame. I have seen people who before could hardly move from one room to the other walk through our whole village with a Rollator. When two of them met, they would each sit down on their seats and have a nice chat.

Oh my husband had to use a Zimmer Frame sometime ago. (we call them walkers out here) I was able to get a detachable tray for the top and he was able to transport things from one room to another, like his books and reading glasses. Was a wonderful helpful tool that helped him be more independent!

Hi Jean - Have a wonderful time! I'll miss you but am looking forward to your stories when you get back.

About the Rollator, I think they're definitely a great idea. My dad had one and it was very useful, especially with the seat and basket. Having the security of a seat made him more adventurous, as he could take a break whenever needed. He's gone now, but my mom has it parked in her basement, just in case she needs it one day.

Bit late, but have a wonderful trip. Looks like a zimmer frame's what we call a walker over here. My grandmother used and loved a three wheeled one (triangle-shaped instead of rectangular), and my mom has a normal one and one with a seat you can fold down for use in the garden. Especially if you're unsteady on your feet, the walker's really helpful. My mom can manage without it but it's much easier for her with it, and she can do much more.

Jean, I am significantly younger than your husband, but depend on a rollator almost all the time. I have 2 ... one with 4 wheels and a seat for going out. I have a 3 wheeled, trianglular shaped one for in the house as it can be adjusted to get through bathroom doorways. The four wheel one is much more stable, but does need more clearance in the house. Consider this when you get home....hope your trip was wonderful and safe! Leslie in NJ